10 things to do in Devon this year

Happy New Year! We hope you had a lovely start to 2024 so far and have plenty of exciting things planned for the rest of the year. If one of those exciting things is a trip or two to Devon, here are some of the top events taking place in 2024 that you certainly don’t want to miss!

Devon County Show

16^th – 18^th May 2024
If you love animals, countryside life and everything in between, you have to make a trip to the Devon County Show. The show is one of the biggest agricultural shows in the UK and takes place at Westpoint on the outskirts of Exeter every year. With incredible food and drink, activities, demonstrations and workshops, this is the ultimate family day out.

Find out more and book tickets here.

GoldCoast OceanFest

21^st – 23^rd June 2024
Perhaps one of the biggest celebrations of surf and music culture, GoldCoast OceanFest takes place every year at Croyde Bay in North Devon.

Full of incredible live music, surfing demonstrations, activities and plenty for the whole family to enjoy. Tickets are available from their website here. 

Pixie Day

Date TBC, but will be around Mid-Summer Day.
Looking for something a little more unusual? Check out Ottery St Mary’s annual Pixie Day. The annual celebration marks the expulsion of the town’s pixies and its founding. The story goes that the human residents built a church and the pixies were forced out, believing that everytime the church bells were rung, that one of them would die. On Midsummer’s Day, they invaded the town and captured the bell ringers, imprisoning them in a cave by the river, which is still known as Pixie’s Parlour to this day. The bell ringers escaped in the story and now, every year, the local children re-enact the events of the day, capturing the bell ringers, who then escape in time for a big street party. It certainly is something to behold!

Get updates and plan your trip here

Ottery Tar Barrels

5^th November 2024

A Bonfire Night with a difference, Ottery St Mary’s tar barrels are a fascinating and thrilling way to mark the GunPowder Plot. No one really knows how or why the tradition came to be, but it is an incredibly popular event, so make sure to book your trip as early as you can!

More information here

Beautiful Days

16-18^th August 2024

Taking place at Escot Park, near Exeter, Beautiful Days has an incredible line up every year, as well as hosting theatre performances, art workshops and camping opportunities, it is the perfect addition to the UK’s festival season.
Book tickets here. 

Don’t fancy camping? See local accommodation below. 

Mid Devon Show

27^th July 2024

This year’s event marks the 31^st annual Mid Devon show, so you know it will be something special. With non stop activities from opening to closing and hosted by the National Trust, this is set to be one of the best day’s out in Devon.

Find out more and book tickets here

Sidmouth Folk Festival

2-9^th August 2024

This year marks the 70^th anniversary of the folk festival – a traditional celebration of music and dance which has taken place since 1955 and remains one of the biggest events in the county. With live music across the town, workshops for the whole family to get involved in and plenty of entertainment, this one sells out quickly, so get your plans in place soon.

Buy tickets and see the line up here.

Tavistock Goose Fair

9^th October 2024

Yes, you read that right, a Goose Fair. Tavistock’s Goose Fair is one of the oldest events still taking place in Devon and while originally, it was just somewhere to sell geese, these days feature all manner of stalls and fairground rides!

Find out more here

British Firework Championships

Date TBC

The British Firework Championships take place every year in Plymouth and it is a truly spectacular event. Each display is judged and the winners receive a prize, but really, everyone is a winner, no matter where you are in the city, you can enjoy the display!

Find out more here

Appledore Book Fest

13-22^nd September

There are a host of book festivals across Devon to enjoy throughout the year but one way to enjoy the beauty of North Devon and the joy of reading is to visit this festival. Keep an eye out for the latest line up – you never know, your favourite author may just make an appearance. You can stay up to date here.